The Top 5 Worst Wine Pairings: Avoid These Fatal Mismatches

by James Oliver Cury

on 06/30/09 at 11:18 AM

It's nice to know that one wine goes especially well with a certain dish, but the art and science of pairings loses some credibility when five, ten, or twelve wines are all touted as potential matches. It's like the sommelier's version of the boy who cried wolf: When is the advice really valid?

We asked Ted Loos, a witty wine writer, to highlight some of the worst possible pairings he could think of, the egregious examples that make you wince, pucker, shudder, and gasp. Memorize these classic misfires and you'll never again order an overwhelming Cab with an underwhelming pork dish. But remember: A flawed combo does not reveal a flawed wine or dish. It's the pairing that sucks, not the individual ingredients.

Although this was a great artivcle to try and discuss wine and food pairings, the examples, at least to me, were almost "no brainers" about what would and wouldn't work with a particular varietal. I'd be more interested in learning about pairings that at first glance look like they'd work only to find out they failed.